But she felt an arm stealing round her, and
Martha's voice whispered close in her ear,--
'Bess, dear Bess, thee must not hide thyself from us. We love thee,
Bess; and we are sore sorry for thee. Stephen is ever so down-hearted
about thee and thy father. Oh, Bess, thee must have no spite at us.'
'Bess,' said Stephen, 'thy father owned I was telling the truth, and
said he forgave me for speaking agen him; and he shook hands with me
afore he went; and he said, "Stephen, thee be a friend to my poor lass!"
and I gave him a sure promise that I would.'
'Nobody'll ever look at me now,' cried Bess; 'nobody'll be friends with
me if father's transported.'
'We're thy friends,' answered Stephen, 'and thee has a Father in heaven
that cares for thee. Listen, Bess; it will do thee good, and poor old
grandfather no harm now. He was transported beyond the seas once; and no
one casts it up to him now, nor to us; and haven't we got friends? Cheer
up, Bess. Miss Anne says, maybe this very trouble will bring thy father
to repentance. He said he'd repent some time; and maybe this will be the
very time for him.
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